London: A rare and historically profound oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi has taken the art world by storm after it was sold for an astounding ₹1.70 crore (approximately £15.3 million) at a prestigious auction in London. The painting is believed to be the only oil portrait for which the Father of the Nation personally sat a fact that makes it a priceless relic of both artistic and political history.
The artwork, rendered by renowned British artist Clare Leighton in 1931, depicts Gandhi seated in his familiar squatting posture with a raised finger, embodying calm resolve and moral authority. Leighton, best known for her wood engravings, was granted the rare opportunity to capture Gandhi’s likeness during his visit to London for the Second Round Table Conference. The opportunity came through her companion, journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, a staunch supporter of Indian independence, who arranged multiple sittings with the Mahatma.
Unlike the many representations created posthumously or from photographs, this portrait stands apart as a product of Gandhi’s live sittings. It’s widely accepted that Gandhi, a man of frugality and limited time, only agreed to this single formal sitting for an oil painting. Exhibited in 1931 at the Albany Galleries, the painting was immediately recognized for its profound simplicity and emotional power. Contemporary writers, including Winifred Holtby and Gandhi’s own secretary Mahadev Desai, lauded the piece for its authenticity.
The journey of this artwork has been anything but tranquil. In 1974, the portrait was viciously attacked with a knife by an extremist during a public exhibition. Though the canvas suffered serious damage, it was painstakingly restored at the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory in the United States. Since then, the painting remained in the private collection of Leighton’s family and was rarely seen by the public until its recent auction.
The painting went under the hammer at Bonhams' Travel & Exploration auction. What was initially expected to fetch between £50,000 and £70,000 soared to an unimaginable £15.3 million. Experts attribute the skyrocketing price to the rarity of the piece, Gandhi’s unmatched legacy, and the global fascination with icons of peace and resilience.
Bonhams’ Head of Sale, Rhyanon Demery, described the portrait as "a profound meeting of two worlds art and activism." She further added, “This is more than just a painting; it’s a living symbol of Gandhi’s global influence and the universality of his message.”
While the buyer has chosen to remain anonymous, sources suggest the portrait may find its way into a public museum or be part of a cultural diplomacy initiative. Cultural historians have emphasized the significance of the sale not just as a financial milestone, but as a rekindling of Gandhi’s legacy in a world increasingly searching for voices of moral clarity.
Art critics also praised Clare Leighton’s ability to convey Gandhi’s essence through oil an artistic medium she rarely used. Known more for her monochrome engravings and social realism, Leighton’s one-time deviation into oil portraiture ended up producing a masterpiece for the ages.
From the political tensions of colonial rule to the elegance of brush strokes that captured a man of silence and strength, this portrait now stands as both a cultural treasure and a tribute to human dignity. In an age driven by spectacle and sound, this quiet image of Gandhi reminds the world of the enduring power of truth, humility, and non-violence.
As millions reflect on the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, this portrait once forgotten in private hands has re-emerged to tell its story anew. And that story, like the man himself, continues to inspire across generations and continents.